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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a song
  4. land — to come down
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — a country
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a path
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — in a race
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — ground
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com